The holidays are an excellent opportunity to see family and friends you haven’t seen in a while. But with so many people on the road and potential poor weather during a winter road trip, you also need to make sure you stay safe. From checking the travel route weather to making sure your vehicle tires are in good shape, there are some simple things you can do to prepare for your winter road trip.
Inspect Your Car
Before you head out, be sure to complete a pre-trip check. This trip check should involve thoroughly inspecting your car to make sure that everything is in good shape. Pay particular attention to the vehicle tires, brakes, and battery.
For the most accurate assessment, have technicians at Jiffy Lube inspect your car for you. If you are due for service, such as oil changes, transmission service, or brake service, take care of it before the trip.
At the very least, check your auto’s battery and lights. Be sure to check the air pressure in your vehicle tires. Also, check the wiper blades, wiper fluid levels, oil levels, and other fluid levels.
Check the Weather
Don’t limit your pre-trip check to your auto. Take the time to check the travel route weather as well. This can help you decide if you should take a slightly different route to avoid storms or maybe travel on a different day. If you see poor travel route weather, make sure to allow extra time for your winter road trip. You will need to drive slowly and cautiously in poor weather.
Pack Warm Clothing
No matter what you see when you check the travel route weather, pack plenty of warm gear to wear in cold weather. Even if you do a pre-trip check and know your car’s heating works fine, you can’t control everything on the road. Maybe your vehicle tires weren’t at the proper inflation, and you got in an accident, or maybe you slipped on some ice. Or perhaps a sudden blizzard trapped you.
Essentially, you want to have warm gear with you on a winter road trip in case you get stuck somewhere.
But Don’t Wear It While Driving
Your pre-trip check should include putting the thick coat, gloves, scarves, and more in your car, but don’t wear them while driving. This will impede your movements.
Pack an Emergency Kit
While you should always have an emergency kit in your car before a road trip, this is especially important before a winter road trip. After all, the snow and ice increase the risk of accidents or conditions that leave you stuck somewhere unexpected. Your kit should include first aid, food, water, an ice scraper, warning flares, an emergency blanket, and some basic tools.
Have Jiffy Lube Inspect Your Car
From checking your vehicle tires to your battery, you don’t have to do it alone. Jiffy Lube can give you a full vehicle inspection before your winter road trip. This way, you can focus on looking up the travel route weather and packing your emergency kit.
